Sex, Love & Secrets

Described as a "Generation Y soap opera" by critic John Kenneth Muir, Sex, Love & Secrets revolves around affluent young adults living in Silver Lake, Los Angeles and their secrets regarding love and sex. though the official website states that they act more like a family. One of the show's taglines was "the only thing that can come between them...is the truth". The series has voice-over narrations, and its lines include: "Be it Santa Claus, Twinkies, infidelity or murder, all humans keep secrets." The narrator, voiced by Virginia Hamilton, talks about the characters and their storylines through "clinical terms". McFarland wrote that she speaks in "ominous tones", while Melanie McFarland of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer likened her to Marty Stouffer's role on Wild America. ==Characters==

Publicist Jolene (Denise Richards) has a tense relationship with rock musician Hank (James Stevenson), who is planning to marry journalist Rose (Lauren German). Muir characterized Jolene as a maneater, On the other hand, Shandy Casteel of PopMatters described Rose as the girl next door. In the pilot episode, Rose receives the ashes of her ex-boyfriend Billy (Dylan Bruno), but it is revealed he is alive when he re-enters the characters' lives. Jolene believes that Rose had ruined her relationship with Billy, and responds by plotting to take Hank as "a means to nasty retaliation". The group frequently seeks advice from gynaecologist Nina (Tamara Taylor), characterized as a workaholic without a sex or social life. The hipster Milo (Lucas Bryant) becomes Nina's new roommate after she meets him through an online advertisement. Shandy Casteel wrote that Nina was a "vixen-waiting-to-flower" and felt Milo fulfilled the "creepy-geek-as-potential-killer cliché". The group is typically shown at a bar. Executive producers Michael Gans and Richard Register said that storylines involving LGBT characters were planned. ==Production==

Sex, Love & Secrets was first announced as part of a September 7, 2004 press report, and developed under the working titles Wildlife and Sex, Lies, and Secrets. When talking about the second title change, executive producer Jonathan Axelrod said: "I've always felt we had more love than lies in the show." Axelrod/Edwards Company and Paramount Network Television handled production. Jonathan Axelrod, Kelly Edwards, and Daniel Cerone worked as the show's executive producers, while its co-executive producers were Michael Gans and Richard Register. Brian Ford Sullivan wrote that Richards plays a smaller role than expected in the show despite her listing as the main actor. The episodes were shot in Los Angeles; David Straiton, Allison Liddi-Brown, and Rachel Talalay were a few of the primary directors. Shandy Casteel wrote that the series made frequent use of "rapid camera zooms, faded-out flashbacks, and quick cuts" and other types of "production flourishes". Phil Gallo described the direction as having "an intimate and racy feel" focused on colorful settings. == Episodes ==

Sex, Love & Secrets was broadcast initially on Tuesday nights at 9 pm EST on United Paramount Network (UPN). The episodes aired between September 27, 2005, and October 18, 2005. It was one of three new shows the network ordered for the 2005–06 season. The show's official website hosted preview videos and an interactive map of the Silver Lake community. Muir wrote that UPN intended to market the series to fans of Beverly Hills, 90210 and Melrose Place. The pilot received "mixed reviews and weak viewership", Due to its poor reception and ratings, The network clarified that it would broadcast the remaining episodes that had been filmed, and might renew the show if ratings improved. The series was the second-lowest rated network television of the season, above only Get This Party Started. According to Muir, it fared poorly in every demographic. Gary Susman and Michael Slezak of Entertainment Weekly wrote that the removal of Sex, Love & Secrets cut short Richards' television career. In 2008, Universal HD acquired the series, airing it alongside fellow UPN series South Beach in a "Sexy Summer Sundays" block. The run included premieres of the six episodes that had not been aired by UPN. ==Critical reception==

Based on 16 reviews, Sex, Love & Secrets received a score from Metacritic of 41/100, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Phil Gallo praised the show as having "the potential to be a real guilty pleasure", and cited Jolene as its highlight. Gallo described Richards as conveying "the most dramatic presence" in the scenes, and wrote: "without her, the show would wither". Brian Ford Sullivan praised Richard's performance as the only positive aspect of the series as she brings out its campy qualities. Sex, Love & Secrets also garnered negative reactions from television critics. Shandy Casteel panned the series, writing that it relied on "stock characters in stock situations". USA Todays Robert Bianco did not believe that Richards and Balfour's performances could carry the series. A reviewer from Out criticized the show's tone, and wrote it was "too much mellow and not enough drama". Critics had mixed reviews for Sex, Love & Secrets, when compared to other television programs. Rob Owen identified it as a good replacement for Melrose Place fans, == References ==